She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

THOUGHTS: While I did enjoy this book, I will say I didn’t enjoy it as much as most people have. The writing was pretty good and the characters were enjoyable. Also, I quite enjoyed the world building. I love the politics of this world. I loved how strong our protagonist, Lia, was. I actually enjoyed most of our characters… except the two potential love interests, AKA the assassin and the prince. Their characters were too predictable, in my eyes, and I felt that they were nothing without Lia. They were by no means bad characters, I can get over the fact that I almost immediately got who was who, but they weren’t memorable at all. As a matter of fact, none of the characters were that memorable. While Lia was a strong character, she’s not the first person that comes to mind when I think about other characters. I don’t ever think about this book like I do with books that I loved. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but nothing I found memorable, except the world.

Saga: Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples

RATING: 9/10

SYNOPSIS: From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, North 40), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old world. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

THOUGHTS: I loved this graphic novel! It has a great storyline, hilarious characters, a creative world, and really good illustrations! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys graphic novels. It can be a bit graphic at times so, as long as that doesn’t bother you, I’d give it a shot.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

RATING: 8/10

SYNOPSIS: From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her – normal.

THOUGHTS: I read this in seventh grade and I just remember being utterly confused as to why our main character acted the way he did towards the end of the novel. I think I was still too young to kind of grasp on to the message the author was trying to say, but looking back on it, I think it was genius. It’s something I can relate to a lot more, now that I’m actually in high school. I mean I still think about this book and how it applies to my life, even though I read it so long ago. I feel like I should probably reread it, and see what kind of message I get from reading it at an older age.